Uzu's Resolve
by Dareagon
Summary: The Uzumaki clan has always been special. More than outsiders could ever know. Not only were the best sealmasters Uzumaki, not only did they live longer, and did they have large chakra reserves than others. But what no one outside the family knew, is that some of them had been born before. Had lived (somewhat) full lives once before. And now, Tsuna and co get a second chance.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: Pure Red Crane. Thank you very much for your help!

Pairing: At this time there is NO pairing for this fic!

**WARNINGS: Major Character death! **

**Chapter 1**

Uzushio was a very strange place. Well, the village itself was lovely, sitting on an island not too far from the sea. Honestly, it looked very peaceful, especially for a Shinobi village.

The people who lived there though, they were the strange ones.

Uzushio was a small village. They had only one main Shinobi clan – not like Konoha, who had like... a dozen or something. No, Uzu's main clan were the Uzumaki. And there were lots of them.

People with Uzumaki blood lived long lives. Longer than other people. And they had been around since the beginning of the Shinobi Era. They were the only clan who had any idea of what had come before. Before Shinobi and the great Sage and even Chakra.

Why? Because of their blood.

While their paternal forefather might have been a son of the great Sage, on their maternal side, they were...differently connected.

The exact connection had been lost, or rather, hadn't been reborn yet. Somehow, the strange mix of the first Chakra and Hyper Dying Will Flames had changed something in their family. No one was sure what. No one who had been around at that time was around to tell them now. But every few generations, a generation came along that remembered a previous life. It had never been a whole lot of people at once. Just enough to make outsiders think that the Flames, that represented their resolve to live, were actually a blood line.

Their original ancestor, Vongola Primo, had been one of the first to be reborn, together with his Guardians.

Uzu had been around a long, longer than Konoha. They were simply much smaller, having never found the need to gather other clans to expand their numbers. Allies were fine, and clans who married into the family were more than welcome.

However, the reincarnation thing was clan business, and while they let the world think their Hyper Dying Will Flames were a rare clan bloodline, it was difficult to explain why a toddler could outtalk and out-reason a fully grown adult.

So, no, they were quite happy with their small village.

Not everyone remembered a past life, and no one had been reborn twice in Uzu, not yet anyway. Still those that didn't remember and couldn't use Flames had quickly found a way to keep up. They were all Shinobi, after all. Most of them.

Somewhere along the line, an Uzumaki invented seals. They were seals of all kinds, for all purposes. Most only needed Chakra to activate. Only a select few, a very secret few, needed a combination of Flames and Chakra.

Once other clans and nations started taking notice, Uzu was not a player to underestimate anymore.

And sure, others could use seals as well, but the Uzumaki were the best at it. They were most known for using them in and outside of combat.

It made them dangerous.

No one had ever acted, though.

Until now...

Now, their village was under attack. There was a war going on out there, but Uzu hadn't been involved in it – no matter how much Konoha had insisted.

But then, eight-year-old Uzumaki Tsunayoshi's had been startled from his game with his cousins by a loud explosion. Reborn, who was only a few years older than him now, had grabbed him by the middle, hauled him off the floor and threw them into the main house bunker.

They were underground before any of them had realised what was going on. With the sound of battle above them, all they could do was wait. Reborn had them locked in tight with one of their special chakra/Flame seals. There was also extra precaution to make sure ordinary Shinobi couldn't open the locked door to the underground caves.

Tsunayoshi, or Tsuna for short, huddled between his friends, hands over his ears in hopes of blocking out the screaming and the explosions.

He hated this so much. Feeling this useless… He wasn't used to it anymore.

He was hiding in the caves hidden under their village, like the child he was once again. Reincarnation sure sucked.

It seemed like a strange Uzumaki tradition though. Uzumaki lived longer than average people. It was both a blessing and a curse, because for being such a large clan, there weren't that many children born. The family was big, but a large part of the people in the clan started recognizing each other soon enough. Because they had been born before. And they had known each other before.

Sometimes, people remembered without being part of the main line, or when they were only very distantly related. Kyoya had been born in the village with only a distant relation to an Uzumaki – married into the family a few generations ago.

Even stranger was seeing all these former mafia members and knowing they were shinobi this time around. As in, legally. Everything they did, all the chaos they created, was legal. Well… as legal as you could be with a former Vongola boss as a Kage.

The Kage thing was relatively new, from what he understood. Before other shinobi villages were formed, they had actually just kept the mafia going. They'd kept the numbers, even if the title had changed. In a way. Their current Uzukage was their ninth.

Nothing was for sure though.

Lambo giggled. Tsuna looked up to see Chrome entertain him with Mist butterflies. She was trying to distract their youngest.

As soon as the attack began, Reborn had grabbed them and hurled them into the closest safety bunker. There were multiple all over (or rather under) the city. They had been built by Giotto, their first boss, and hidden by both Flames and Chakra seals. Only someone who had access to both could open and close this secure space.

No invading forces would ever gain access. They were safe here. For a while, at least. They would be fine until the battle fought in the village was won, or they ran out of food. Whichever came first.

Which was a very depressing thought.

He looked around, checking once again that his friends were all here.

Hayato was sitting next to him, face deep in a book. From this close up, Tsuna could see he wasn't actually reading, just staring at the pages. Takeshi sat on his other side, keeping baby Lambo securely in his arms.

Tsuna smiled. Lambo was barely a few months old, but they had all immediately recognized him. And even that small, the Lightning had recognized them. It had been obvious in his Flames.

Chrome was entertaining baby Lambo. Mukuro (her twin in this life) was sitting so close to her, she might as well be sitting in his lap.

Kyoya and Ryohei were missing, but neither had been around when the attack had surprised the village. And there were multiple bunkers like this all over the village. Tsuna could only hope they had made it to safety. He could still feel their bond in place, so that was at least something to hold onto.

Tsuna tried to distract himself.

Reincarnation and ages were weird. Tsuna and his friends were all born the same year (with the exception of Lambo), and his dad was still his dad. Xanxus was only a few years older than him, already lined up to take over Anbu in a few years.

Reborn was about the same age as Xanxus, this time around. His former tutor had risen in the shinobi ranks fast. Yet here he was. Having sworn to be their last line of defence, he was standing by the entrance to the cave. His eyes didn't leave Tsuna, and the young Sky shot him a shaky smile.

Above them they could hear the sounds of battle.

And Tsuna worried. He had always been a worrier, even before Reborn had given him the strength to fight back, to act instead of only watching.

The attack had come out of nowhere. Whoever was attacking them (Kiri, at the very least. Tsuna had seen a headband indicating such.) had managed to hide themselves from Uzu's defences. They had certainly known what they were doing.

Tsuna's breath hitched and he grabbed at his heart. A torrent of emotions gripped him in such a Storm he got dizzy with pain.

Fear.

Fear.

Fear.

Pain.

Fear.

Pain.

PainFearPainFearpainfearpainfear-

Cloud and Sun.

Someone grabbed him close and he was barely aware it happened.

And then there were other Flames.

Rain, Storm, Mist, and Sun.

He recognized them immediately and their feelings off support and comfort helped him snap out of whatever was happening.

When he became aware again, it wasn't because the feelings of pain and fear had dulled, but because the others were shielding him and using him and his Sky Flames to send support to their two Family members in need.

He was cradled in Reborn's lap with the others wrapped around the both of them.

"Something is very wrong with Kyoya and Ryohei."

"I don't think they made it to a shelter." Hayato muttered as he tried to sink in the cuddle nest.

Reborn tightened his grip on Tsuna. The Sky wielder could feel the tension in the teen. The regret hung into the air.

Tsuna squeezed his eyes closed, still very much aware of the panic his Cloud and Sun were feeling.

The pain was getting worse, so was the feeling of panic, but it didn't have such a tight grip on him anymore.

Now that he was aware of where his own feelings started, and where theirs ended, his own fear grew.

When the fighting began, he had tried so hard not to focus on those Flames dying up there. His father was there, so was Nono, and a whole bush of other people. But he couldn't block his own Guardians. He wouldn't.

Suddenly, there was a huge wave of furious Wrath Flames that washed over everything. It was so strong they could all feel it inside the bunker.

Tsuna felt himself relax at the familiar feeling. Even if Xanxus was beyond furious, his presence on the battlefield was reassuring.

"Seems like the Varia just got back." Reborn commented while looking grimly at the ceiling.

And Tsuna allowed himself to hope. Hope that everything would be alright after all. Xanxus and his elements (calling them his Guardians just sounded … so wrong…) had been fast-tracked through Anbu, at their own demand. At fourteen, Xanxus had taken over the entire division, much like he had taken over the Varia a lifetime ago. They were _that_ good.

Nono had only one son, this time around. And no one had wanted Iemitsu to take over. Ever.

So Tsuna had been learning for some while what would be expected from him. But he had to learn this once before, so...

It was funny. He remembered his last childhood and teen years so clearly, but his adult years, how he had died... He couldn't recall any off that... Not clearly. Not beyond a vague sense of deja-vu.

He and his Guardians had all been born the same year, except for Lambo, who was barely a few int sold now.

The moment they had remembered, lessons had started. In fighting, Flame use, Chakra control... just basic things. To get them used to it again. They had a whole bunch of teachers. Mainly Reborn, but anyone who gad some free time and the will to try was welcome.

Personally, after Reborn, Tsuna enjoyed learning from Xanxus the most.

Having Reborn and the other Arcobaleno being reincarnated in Uzu had apparently been a big surprise to the clan. Luche had been first, then Aria, and then the strongest Flames, with Reborn following first, of course. Tsuna hadn't been born yet, so he only knew what he was told. But until they had shown up, the only people who had been reincarnated had Vongola ties. No one had an explanation for it, and maybe they never would.

But they had long since learned to go with the flow.

The Flames above them died down and so did the screaming.

They sat in anxious silence for what felt like an eternity.

Just waiting, waiting…

It was very possible only a few minutes had passed, but it sure felt like hours. None of them said a word.

They heard someone approach their bunker. Reborn straightened as he stood before the door, blocking the children as much from view as he could.

It was Xanxus who ripped their bunker open a second later.

"Anyone still alive in there?" He snarled, clearly still in a rage.

They spilled out of the room, so relieved someone was still alive.

Tsuna only watched him with wide eyes, wordlessly asking a question.

Xanxus nodded his head, a grim look overtaking his face. "Follow me, all of you. You should hurry, if you want to say goodbye."

Tsuna would never recall how long it took him to reach the scene. He ran, like he never had before. Still, the way there seemed endless. On and on it went. More and more turns, more corners to take after every turn.

Run, run and run.

His mind was blank, he was running, but not thinking.

All he did was hope.

Panic set in as he took the final corner and saw.

Blood.

That was the first thing he saw. Or noticed anyway.

He had died himself, had seen others die.

Yet, every time again, the amount of blood...

It was overwhelming.

There was a body on the ground.

Lussuria was kneeling next to it, his Sun Flames active and trying to save the person.

Kyoya stood a bit further in, raging. Cloud Flames were visible and surrounding him like he were the eye of the storm. He was beating up what was left of a corpse.

Tsuna reached for his flames immediately, sending a soothing a vibe across them and his Cloud stopped, turning around.

Those eyes. Those desperate eyes.

Tsuna shot him a look just as desperate.

He couldn't though. He couldn't comfort his Cloud any more than that – not with his Sun dying just a few feet further. Who knew how long Ryohei still had left? He couldn't risk not saying good-

No, he wouldn't risk it.

They could comfort each other later.

Reborn reached Ryohei just before Tsuna did.

"I'm trying to keep him here long enough to say goodbye. He'll be gone as soon as I let go." Lussuria said.

No.

Tsuna fell to his knees, his hands coming up to clutch at Ryohei's clothes.

"Tsuna." the loud boy said softly. "There you are. I am glad you aren't hurt."

Blood spilled from Ryohei's mouth, but it didn't stop him from talking. Tsuna watched him with wide eyes. Someone had tried to cleave his Sun in two. Ryohei was barely clinging to life.

He knew what this meant. He knew it.

But in that moment, he refused to believe it.

"You'll be fine." he tried to say.

"Ha." Ryohei laughed. "Yeah, I will be. You all look after each other, you hear me."

Storm, Rain, Mists, Cloud and even Lightning (still being carried, but silently crying) gathered around their Sky and dying Sun.

They nodded, said their farewells, but Tsuna couldn't hear what they said. His entire being was focused on Ryohei and the bond they shared. The bond that was slipping through his fingers, no matter how hard he tried to hold on.

"You'll all be fine." Ryohei said after he had talked to them all. As he turned back to Tsuna, he continued. "And so, will I. I will see you all in the next life."

Tsuna laughed briefly, tears finally falling. "Of course, we will."

He could only hope they would get a third chance.

"Find a new Sun – someone for me to meet next time." Ryohei smiled brightly.

Everything inside Tsuna rebelled at the idea. He couldn't talk though. Between silent sobs, he could only shake his head.

"You will." Ryohei grabbed his hand, Flames flaring for one last time. "Goodbye, my Sky."

"Farewell, my Sun."

"Destroying the misfortune that attacks the famigilia with their own body, they become the Sun that brightly shines on the area. You did your duty to your family, Uzumaki Ryohei." Kyoya said with a strange look on his face. "Goodbye."

His Guardians muttered their agreement, but Tsuna didn't hear it.

Because Ryohei had sighed. And stopped breathing.

He was gone.

His family stood around them as Tsuna clutched his dead Sun's body to himself, and wailed, and cried.

They stood vigil. Hayato hugged him from behind and gently pulled him away from the body after a while.

Tsuna was distracted. He only had eyes for Ryohei, but he could feel his Storm shake with tears.

The added grief he felt from his remaining Guardians both helped and didn't. It reminded him that, regardless of his loss, he was not alone. They grieved with him.

Kyoya's Flames were coursing through their bonds with a protectiveness that was known from Clouds. But he was also clearly grieving and feeling guilty.

It took a while, but Tsuna pushed his grief to the side.

They weren't safe just yet. There was time to properly grieve later.

He took a deep breath and released Ryohei. The boy looked peaceful, strangely enough. Tsuna stood up, rubbed his tears away and cleared his throaty.

"Who is left?" he asked Xanxus, who was waiting patiently.

"The Arcobaleno are doing a search. They'll evacuate all civilians, as per protocol, to a nearby village, where safe houses and essentials have been stocked. We, on the other hand, should grab who and what we can and prepare to go."

"What? Go? Go where?" Tsuna asked, trying to stay calm. He was not at all comfortable with leaving this quickly.

"I don't want to die again." Xanxus snarled. "Whoever attacked us, at least two of the major shinobi villages were involved. We only arrived when most had already retreated. If they come back, we are sitting ducks. No matter how strong we are, they will overwhelm us. I will not die today. So, we leave, we regroup, we rebuild."

"We gain information and exterminate their entire village." Marmon muttered, ever the teen in cloak and hood snarled fiercely.

"Who...?" Tsuna asked scared. For the Mist, who usually kept themselves so tightly under control, to slip like that...

"Aria is dead." They snarled.

Tsuna's stomach turned to ice. No. Not Aria as well.

That was...a double blow – for the Arcobaleno especially. Because it greatly reduced the chance of Yuni ever being born now. She might never be reborn now, depending how much survivors there were today.

Reincarnation could only happen to those of Uzumaki blood. If there were none left...

Tsuna closed his eyes, feeling the invisible explosion of Reborn's Flames as he raged. Reborn had especially been close to the three generations of Sky Arcobaleno's. Having already lost Luche a second time, and now loosing Aria and maybe never meeting Yuni again...

"We will take care of Kiri and... Who else?" Reborn gritted out.

"It was very unlike you, Reborn. I had expected you on the battlefield." Verde commented as he joined them.

"Keeping Tsuna and the Uzumaki line safe was my priority. I would have been their last line of defence if anything had gotten wrong. It was a hard decision to make, but I made it in a heartbeat and I would do so again." Reborn said with steal in his voice.

Verde looked thoughtful. "Smart. They somehow got through every security we had in place. We might just be dealing with a traitor."

Reborn grinned evilly. "I can't wait to find out."

"We're burning daylight. Let's get going!" Xanxus snarled.

"You'll come with us?" Reborn asked.

Xanxus shook his head. "You get them there safely. I'll take care of stuff here."

"Wait, where are we going?" Tsuna asked. "Why are we going?"

"Don't be stupid, Tsuna. Until a more thorough search is done, we can assume everyone else in the village is dead." Reborn said sternly. "The attack on the village has stopped, for now. There is no telling when they'll be back to make sure they did their job of killing everyone. You and your Guardians are still just kids. You are the future of this family."

"But, Reborn..."

"No, the Arcobaleno is right. You will be Uzukage one day, Decimo." Xanxus said with a look in his eyes. "You are the only Uzukage I will accept. But you are too small for now. And revenge against the family needs to be had. I'll take care of that. You keep your Guardians safe, and grow up to rebuild this place."

"Alright. You'll take care of them." He looked at Ryohei's body, his throat tight.

"I will. I'll come get you when the time is right. You'll stay put until then, got it."

Tsuna nodded reluctantly. "And where are we going?"

"Konoha." Xanxus said with a sneer.

**TBC**.

So, What do you think? Is this worth continuing? ^^


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Katekyoshi Hitman Reborn! I just wish I did.

Beta: Pure Red Crane. Thank you very much for your help!

Pairing: At this time there is NO pairing for this fic!

WARNINGS: Major Character death (in the first chapter!)!

AN: Sorry about making you all sad last chapter. To be honest, Ryohei is one of my least favourite characters in KHR. Still, you all sure showed your support for him!

Also, for those who don't know me, English is only my third language. I do have a beta, but pardon me for any mistakes that slip through.

**Chapter 2**

Konoha?

Tsuna frowned. "Why Konoha?"

Xanxus snorted. "Because they are our allies. Because there is still an Uzumaki in their village, playing host to a Biju they couldn't handle on their own. Because you aren't strong enough yet to come with us and staying here isn't safe. The security of the village has already been broken. Because the higher ups in Konoha were aware of some of our security and we need to find the mole who spilled our secrets. Take your pick."

Tsuna watched with widening eyes as Xanxus continued to list reasons.

"Alright." was all he said.

"I'll oversee the clean-up here, lock down the village, and come see you over there. You make sure you stay where I can find you." Xanxus threatened with a scowl.

Tsuna nodded, still intimidated by that face.

…

Tsuna moved in a blur. He was barely aware of anything. His heart hurt. He moved on automatic, not consciously aware he was going somewhere. People moved around him. Someone shoved a bag in his arms, and before he knew it, they stood at the destroyed main gate.

"Oi." Xanxus called him back to attention.

Tsuna snapped back into awareness. He gulped, immediately noticing all the corpses around them. The gate had been ripped open. The big wooden doors had been blown apart. Even the stone wall itself had collapsed. There was wood and stone everywhere.

But most of all, the human carnage was…

All the blood, ripped flesh…

It was...hard. Looking at it made the brunet's stomach churn uncomfortably and sorrowfully. Once again, it was made clear just how delicate a human body was. How little it could take to kill someone. And how easy humans became killers.

Xanxus grunted again. Tsuna quickly looked at the older Sky. Xanxus threw him an annoyed look. Tsuna gulped but straightened his back.

"This is yours now."

Xanxus stood before him, face grim. He held his hand out. The Uzumaki family Sky ring laid in the palm of his hand. Tsuna gulped, rubbed his tears away and hesitated only for a second. Then he reached out, accepting his fate and gently bringing the ring to his heart.

"I'll get you the others when we find them in this mess." Xanxus said with a grimace.

Tsuna took a deep breath and nodded. The ring felt heavy in his hand, the responsibility even more.

"Get going." Xanxus said as farewell before he turned around and walked away.

"I will join you all in Konoha as soon as my lab is ready for transport." Verde informed Reborn.

The Sun Arcobaleno nodded.

Fon joined in. "I toon the liberty of packing essentials for the trip. I'll be coming with you."

"Good." Reborn nodded. "Verde, let the others know. I'd like at least three of us to be in Konoha at all times. Make sure everyone shows up in at least two weeks to go over plans. Fon and I will go ahead."

Verde nodded. "I'll pass on the message."

Reborn only nodded. "Let's go."

Konoha was a good week away, even at shinobi speed. And while they were running using chakra, they couldn't run as fast as they wanted. Not if they were trying to stay undetected.

They knew for sure that Kiri was involved, but the attacking force had been too big to only have been only Kiri shinobi. If they had, they would have abandoned their line at the front, and lost precious territory.

Who knew who else had been involved?

Either way, his perception of time was way off right now.

Tsuna could only hope Konoha would still be safe. There would be nothing left of that village if it turned out they had been involved…

Keeping Lambo quiet was a job in itself, and Tsuna was still feeling paranoid after the attack. His friends were also very quiet, which showed just how off the whole situation was. Reborn and Fon stood guard the whole time. The two former Arcobaleno kept them moving, kept an eye out and generally kept them safe. They ran for hours, only taking small breaks to snack on some ration bars. By the time evening fell, they stopped to set up camp.

"No fire. We don't want to alert anyone we're here." Reborn said solemnly.

Fon nodded and took a scroll out of his robes. He threw it onto the ground. The tent that popped out of it was big, and opened at both ends. They would all fit in easily, with a guard spot at either entrance.

Fon opened two other scrolls. One had the rest of the camping gear, like bedrolls. The second one held food and weapons. Most of the sustenance was more ration bars, but the weaponry had Takeshi's sword, and Kyoya's tonfas.

Tsuna crawled into the tent, bedroll in hand, ready to lay it down. He laid it in the middle, knowing Reborn would have him redo it if he didn't. His friends wouldn't help the matter. They were all feeling vulnerable right now, and if it helped them feel like they were keeping him safe by having him in the middle of their group – well, he wasn't happy about it, but he had learned long ago to pick his battles.

Hayato entered the tent after him, dropping his own things next to Tsuna's. Without a word, he threw his arms around the Sky, and Tsuna clung to him. Just for a bit, they soaked up the comfort. This wasn't the time to cry again - they weren't safe yet – but a hug felt very welcome right now. Tsua released his Storm and took a deep breath.

"You alright, Juudaime?" Hayato asked.

Tsuna shook his head. "No, but either way, we should get back out. Let the others in to install their stuff."

"Boss, here." Chrome handed him a food bar as soon as he crawled out of the tent. He shot her a thankful smile.

Shy as ever, she flushed. Mukuro snickered, shooting her a (in his own way) soft smile. "So caring, Chrome."

Tsuna could feel Hayato bristle behind him.

"Now, now, let's not fight." Apparently, Takeshi had seen the Storm's reaction as well.

"We don't have time for your shenanigans." Reborn added harshly with a frown. "Make sure you eat, and then go to sleep. We're leaving early in the morning."

Fon nodded his agreement. "You'll need the energy tomorrow. Best get a good night's sleep."

They all cuddled close together in the tent soon after, exhausted after the emotional rollercoaster of the day. The next day they ran, and ran, ate, stopped to sleep, and ran some more.

The days that followed were sometimes very boring. It didn't feel like it, though. They spent a lot of the time in silence, each deep in thought. The rest of the time was spent half paranoid that an enemy was going to jump out some nearby bushes.

To be honest, Tsuna spent half the trip anxious as hell and the other half completely zoned out. Neither were good, and his family tried to distract him by talking to him and keeping him calm through their flame bond. Though, feeling their worry and anger at what happened, was what grounded him, and it didn't at the same time. It felt stupid that he still felt that way three days after the attack on their village. Nothing had happened up since that point, and it was starting to feel a bit redundant.

Mostly, it left them all exhausted. Tsuna couldn't wait to get to Konoha so they could get a rest.

Reborn ran at the front of their little group. Fon was at the back. It was Reborn who shot forward in a second when someone actually did stumble out of nowhere onto their path. He had slit the person's throat before Tsuna had realised what had happened. He gulped, but after spotting the headband, he narrowed his eyes in anger – a Kiri shinobi.

Immediately following that, other shinobi appeared and rushed towards them. Having felt paranoid for the last few days, they were ready for them. Fon rushed forward and handled five on his own. Tsuna and his friends tag-teamed the two others who got through Fon.

The fight, it could be called that, was over in seconds.

"We need to leave." Reborn said immediately as the last enemy went down. "They were fleeing from something, and I don't want to encounter whatever it was."

His teacher looked stoic as ever, but Tsuna could see the rage hiding in his eyes.

"Wouldn't their enemy be our ally?" Tsuna asked.

"No way to be sure unless we meet with them, which is too big a risk right now." Fon clarified.

Fon had barely stopped talking or a figure appeared amongst them immediately.

In a flash, they were all battle ready again, and Reborn had a kunai at the man's throat.

"Name?" Reborn asked, cutting lightly into the man's skin.

"Who, how?" The man raised his hands in surrender. "I am not here to fight children. Did you take care of those Kiri shinobi?"

"We sure did. Now answer my friend's question." Fon replied, still in his martial arts stance.

"My name is Jiraiya. Have you heard of me? I am kind of famous." The man shot them a smile that made Tsuna question his sanity.

"And what is one of famous Sannin of Konoha doing this far from both his village and the battlefront?" Reborn asked, not lowering his kunai.

"I am actually on my way back from an euhm… extended stay away from the village?" the man said hesitantly.

"You took a holiday while your village is at war?" Tsuna asked stunned.

"Wow, he can't be that strong if they can miss him during war times." Hayato sneered at the man.

"I'll have you know I am one of the more powerful shinobi in Konoha." The man shrugged with a proud smile. "It wasn't a holiday, actually, but… Well, I took a leave of absence. That is over now, so I am making my way back. I stumbled upon the Kiri ninja on the road. They clearly had no idea who I was when they rushed me."

Tsuna frowned at him. So arrogant. Or just that good? After all, it wasn't arrogance if you could back it up. Or so Reborn always said. But honestly, who left his family to fight a war while they were off taking a break? Was this… normal, in Konoha?

Reborn lowered the kunai, a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, you came at the right time. You can escort us to Konoha, seeing as we are going the same way."

"And what are you kids doing going to Konoha? Who are you anyway?" the man asked.

"We're Uzumaki." Fon smiled serenely.

The young kids stayed silent, letting the Arcobaleno do the talking. They stayed vigilant though. Both Kyoya and Mukuro stood with their backs to the group, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Really? I never would have guessed. None of you have red hair!" the man said in shock. Reborn made an irritated noise. "So anyway, why are you on your way to Konoha? Some of you seem very young. Even in war, the genin aren't allowed to be out on a mission. Especially without a teacher."

"I am their teacher." Reborn said with a smirk, to the man's obvious disbelief.

"It seems the news hasn't spread yet." Fon mused out loud as he rubbed his chin. "Strange, it has been a few days already."

"What news?" the man asked.

"We should get moving again. Let's go."

Tsuna and Co immediately took after Reborn.

"Wait! What news?!" Jiraiya came after them.

Reborn's smirked at the man, who huffed at the teen. Then Reborn's smirk disappeared. "Uzushio has been levelled to the ground."

Jiraiya was so shocked that he missed his next branch and plummeted down. He didn't fall for long, easily regaining his footing, but the shock he wore on his face now was nothing compared to before. "What?!"

"You heard me." Reborn grunted.

"How?"

"The usual way. Probably by somehow deactivating all our defences and warnings, and killing most of the people inside before they realised what was going on. It probably helped that most of the Varia were out of the village at the time. Very convenient." Reborn said dryly.

"What?! "

"Tch. " Kyoya made a loud noise, showing he didn't appreciate the Sannin's slowness. Jiraiya twitched.

"Later." Reborn ordered the group. "I want to reach Konoha as soon as possible to get the kids to safety."

Jiraiya nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.

…

They ran for a while longer, a good while, until night started falling and it was time to set up their tent again.

"So, the kids are asleep?" Jiraiya asked Reborn.

Tsuna was still lying awake in the centre of their cuddle pile in the tent.

"I imagine they don't get a lot of sleep, these days. We can hope though." Fon sighed.

Reborn added. "They'll sleep. Takeshi will make sure of that. Now how stubborn they are about it though and how long they do get to sleep, that is the question."

"They have been through a lot." Fon replied.

"What happened? In Uzu, I mean?" the white-haired man asked again.

"Exactly as I said before. Uzu has been burned to the ground. Barely anyone is left." Reborn said. "Somehow, they got through every defence we had put into place. The others stayed behind to find out exactly how that was possible."

"So, there are other survivors?"

Even from inside the tent Tsuna could hear the relief in the man's voice.

"Barely. The Varia, and of course, we are still around." Reborn sniped. "No idea if anyone else made it though."

"The Varia is what we call our Anbu squad." Fon explained. "They stayed behind, while we are making sure the next generation will be safe. Hence why we are on our way to Konoha."

He has heard quite enough, through the thin walls of their little tent.

Tsuna turned around, pressing his hands against his ears and closing his eyes as hard as he could. Anything to drown out the voices and not remember the scenes he had seen – seen and not quite yet understood. He had seen the blood, the bodies, but he was still too preoccupied with his Sun's death that they don't really register yet.

Did that make him a bad person?

A subtle wave of Rain flames washed over them all and Tsuna couldn't help but sigh and relax.

He smuggled into their puppy pile in the tent and fell asleep quicker than he thought possible.

…

The way to Konoha seemed endless. And running was very repetitive. They didn't talk, and so Tsuna spent a lot of the time thinking.

Or rather, trying not to think, and not really succeeding.

They arrived at Konoha's gates, accompanied by the Sannin two days after the man had joined them.

Finally. It felt like years since they left what was left Uzu behind. Years of running and looking over his shoulder, and feeling that ache in his heart where his Sun so obviously was missing.

Reborn approached the gatekeepers, and shot them a look that made grown adults shrink back.

"We're here to see Uzumaki Kushina, and to speak with your Hokage." He said.

"Sure, kid." One of the shinobi half laughed, recovering with the speed of a clueless person. "Where is your responsible adult?"

"Ohoh." Takeshi smiled in amusement.

Not this again…

Did he just ask Reborn that?

He could feel Reborn getting annoyed, even without looking at the Arcobaleno. For someone who was growing up for the third time now, the Sun Arcobaleno seemed to have endless patience. Now though, it seemed this idiot might have pushed the greatest hitman just a bit too far.

The last few days had been very challenging…

Still, you would think in a world where child soldiers were encouraged, people would take children more seriously.

**TBC.**

A bit shorter! But yes, I did decide to keep going with this story! Do keep in mind, I fear updates might be slow. I have a lot of stories going on right now ^^'

I have two other Katekyou hitman Reborn x Naruto crossovers, maybe you can check those out in the meantime. I am quite proud of those ^^


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